Purse construction



June 2, 1959 C. H. SEAVER PURSE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 11, 1957 wigs INVENTOR. CHARLES H Seam-'2 ATTORNEY PURSE CONSTRUCTION Charles H. Seaver, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 11, 1957, Serial No. 645,232

3 Claims. (Cl. 150-28) This invention relates to a purse, handbag and similar structures and has for an object to provide such a structure that is particularly convenient to use because of a sectional compartmented arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a purse construction that includes a plurality of compartments and is so made that access may be had to any compartment without opening or in any way disturbing the others.

A further object is to provide a purse construction as above in which a single closure means is provided for all of the sections and which, when released, enables opening of any one of the several compartments of the construction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a purse structure formed of external interfitted compartment sections and a common releasable closure for said sections.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a self-locking closure in a purse structure of the character above referred to.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the follow ing description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a purse construction, showing the same closed, and formed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in vertical section, showing the purse construction in one of several open positions.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged elevational view, in quarter section, of a self-locking release means used in the present construction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing a separable connection means that may be used in the present invention.

The present purse construction comprises a lower section 5, an upper section 6, similar intermediate sections 7, and a common closure 8 for said sections, and means 9 to releasably lock the closure means 8.

The sections 5, 6 and 7 may be made of any rigid material and are advantageously made of a plastic that may or may not be transparent. In any case, the sections are preferably thin-walled and light in weight. The lower section is preferably provided with a bottom wall It) and an encircling cylindrical wall 11 that constitutes a cuff that, together with the bottom wall 10, defines a topopen compartment 12.

The upper section 6, in a somewhat similar manner comprises atop wall 13 and an encircling cylindrical wall 14 that depends from the wall 13 and forms a bottomopen compartment 15. The thickness of wall 14 is made to be somewhat greater than that of wall 11. Therefore, while the outer faces of walls 11 and 14 are the same in size and configuration, the inner face of wall 14 defines a smaller compartment 15 than the compartment 12. A skirt wall 16 extends downwardly from the thicker wall 14, the same being of an outer size to telescopically fit into the lower section 5 so that compartments 12 and 15 combine to form a single larger compartment. A shoulder 17 where skirt wall 16 starts engages the upper edge of wall 11 to limit the positional relationship of the sections 5 and 6.

Each section 7 comprises a bottom wall 18, a cylindrical wall 19 encircling wall 18 and of a thickness similar to the thickness of wall 14, an upper flange or skirt wall 20, and a lower flange or skirt wall 21. One of the walls 20 or 21 (in this case, the wall 21) is similar to wall 16 in that the same extends from the inner side of wall 19 and defines a position-limiting outer shoulder 22. The other of said flange or skirt walls (in this case, the wall 20) extends from the outer side of wall 19 and defines a position-limiting inner shoulder 23. It will be understood that the bottom wall 18 may have any suitable position between the upper and lower edges of each section 7.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that in the same way that skirt wall 16 may fit into wall 11, the same may fit within wall 20 of an adjacent section 7. Also, the skirt wall 21 may fit within wall 11 or within wall 20. Therefore, so long as the top and bottom sections are used, the purse may include several intermediate sections 7, only one section 7 or none at all. Depending on the number of sections used, the purse will have one compartment less than the number used, the compartments being defined between the bottom and top walls 10 and 13 and the walls 18 of the intermediate sections.

When a complement of sections 5, 6 and 7 are interfitted, as desired, any two of them may be separated as shown in Fig. 2 to give access to the interior of the compartment that is enclosed by said sections. Such separation may be effected without disturbing the other sections and their compartments.

The closure 8 for the sections above described, preferably comprises two sets of tubes or sleeves 24 on the opposite sides of each section, substantially in the manner shown. The openings in the sleeves 24 extend, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, through the side walls of the sections from the shoulders at the bottom adjacent the depending skirt wall 16 upward to the top of the upper flange or skirt wall 20. In order to insure ready alignment of said tubes, the sections 5, 6 and 7 are made to be non-round, for instance, oval, as shown. Thus, the tubes on each side align to form continuous passages 25.

Said closure 8 further includes a pair of flexible elongated members 26 that may comprise cords, straps, thongs, etc., the same freely extending through the continuous passages 25, thereby wholly enclosing the portions of the cords or the like alongside the interfitting sections. Pro tection so aiforded the flexible elongated members 26 of the frame thereof obviates snagging when the purse or handbag is carried by the owner, so that it cannot catch on projecting objects when the owner carries the handbag. The appearance of the handbag is also enhanced, and the tubular members 24 act as handles to aid the owner in lining up the sections when they are assembled. One end of each member 26 is provided with an enlargement 27, of any suitable form and incapable of entering passages 25'. Thus, the members may extend upwardly in said passages and outwardly from the upper end of section 5. It will be clear that the purse sections may be tions may be separated, as described.

The releasable lock 9 (shown in detail in Fig. 3) normally seeks a locked position gripping the members 26. Said lock may be in the form of a conventional clutch slide. As illustrated it comprises telescopic housing members and 29 that are longitudinally spread, as by a spring 30, the member 29 being formed to house a collet or similar tapered elements 31 that are urged into gripping engagement With the member 26 by a tapered seat 32 in housing member 29 when spring 36 is free to exert its force. Thus, the flexible members 26 are gripped, as indicated. By pressing on opposite ends of lock 9 to move the housing members together against the spring bias, the members 26 are released because the bias on the collet is removed. By pushing against the face 33 housing member 29, the lock may he slid along members 26 while the free ends of the latter are being ield. Thus, the lock may be automatically set in section-locking position. When the opposite ends of the lock are pressed together, as described above, the flexible members are released and can be loosened. In fact, the lock 9 may be entirely removed from member 26 to enable such rearrangement of the purse sections, as may be desired. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the employment of the particular type clutch illustrated.

In order to hold the adjacent sections separably connected when the means 55 is loosened, a bayonet slot 40 in the skirt wall 21 of one section may be engaged by a pin 41 in the skirt wall 253 of an adjacent section. The connection shown being a rotational one, the sections are preferably round. If the section walls are suitably flexible, the connection may be used in non-round sections.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A handbag comprising aplurality of telescopically interfitted sections one above another enclosing separate compartments one less in number than the number of sections, said sections including a top section, a bottom section and interchangeable intermediate sections, and flexible cord means retaining connection of the sections and serving to hold the same separably in interfitted engagement, each section above the bottom section having :1 depending skirt wall recessed from the lateral outer surface of the section to form a shoulder, each intermediate section having a lateral wall with an upwardly extending flange adapted to fit and surround the skirt wall of the section above and engage the shoulder thereof to produce a smooth unbroken lateral surface of the assembly of sections when in interfitted relation, each of the sections including cord-protecting guides on each side wholly enclosing the cord means alongside the sections, aiding and guiding the sections into interfitted relationship when assembled, the tops of the different sections being aligned when the sections are interfitted to define continuous passages, said flexible cord means comprising elongated members arranged over the top and along the opposite sides of the handbag and extending through said passages.

2. A handbag comprising a plurality of interfitted sections one above another enclosing separate compartments, one less in number than the number of sections, said sections including top and bottom sections to form a top and bottom respectively of the handbag and an intermediate section, and flexible cord means retaining connection of the sections and serving to hold the same separably in interfitted engagement each section above the bottom section having a depending skirt wall recessed from the lateral outer surface of the section to form a shoulder, each section below the top section having a lateral wall with an upwardly extending flange adapted to fit and surround the skirt wall of the section above and engage the shoulder thereof to produce a smooth unbroken lateral surface of the assembly of sections when in interfitted relation, each of the sections including cord protecting guides on each side aligned with a guide of the adjacent section wholly enclosing the cord means alongside the sections, aiding and guiding the sections into interfitted relationship when assembled, the tops of the different sections being aligned when the sections are interfitted to define continuous passageways, said flexible cord means extending through said passageways.

3. A purse as in claim 2 in which the adjacent sections are formed with bayonet joints for separable connection having connected positions when the passageways are aligned whereby the flexible cord means may be passed through the passageways to lock the bayonet joints.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 235,278 Norton Dec. 7, 1880 294,217 Foos Feb. 26, 1884 432,539 Mains July 22, 1890 444,215 Adams Jan. 6, 1891 2,101,281 Porter W Dec. 7, 1937 2,443,335 Vogel June 15, 1948 2,573,806 Paterson Nov. 6, 1951 2,595,113 Taberer Apr. 29, 1952 2,623,656 Rottau Dec. 30, 1952 

